Governance

Speaking at the
Charity Commission’s annual public meeting in Manchester on 5
March, the Commission’s Chief Executive and Chair conveyed a
message to the sector about what to expect from its regulator over
the next five years.

The Commission’s Chief Executive, Helen Stephenson made it clear
that the regulator’s capacity is still on a “knife edge”, after
experiencing the “double whammy” of funding cuts and increasing
demand for its services. The Commission currently receives on
average 260 emails or phone calls from customers per day.

However, plans to address this through a consultation on whether
the Commission should charge charities for regulation are on hold
because the government is preoccupied with Brexit. Last year the
government gave the Commission an additional £5m per year, until a
consultation on charging charities could come about, which has
enabled the regulator to recruit additional staff.

Despite the challenges, Stephenson outlined the key points from
the Commission’s
statement of strategic intent last year and said: “Work is
currently underway translating all of these objectives into clear
and measurable delivery plans. It’s not a heroic strategy, but it’s
an ambitious one.” She added that the Commission is “implementing
it in a challenging time for us”.

She said the Commission is focused on delivering on the
refreshed aims set out in last year’s statement. “We want to
set out our stall to the charity sector about the way in which we
are going to develop in the next five years,” Stephenson said.

So, what can charities expect from the Commission?

Both Stephenson and the Commission’s chair, Baroness Stowell,
said that the Commission will be “louder”, and charities can expect
to hear the regulator speaking up more.

Baroness Stowell told charities to expect to see a more
confident Commission. A Commission that is unafraid to use its
voice and authority to encourage behaviour and conditions that help
charity thrive.

The Commission also plans to improve access to data and improve
content so that it’s engaging and useful for trustees.

2018 saw significant concerns in relation to safeguarding, the
introduction of new data protection laws, and a strategy from the
Charity Commission focussed more strongly on public trust.
Louise anticipates that in 2019, boards should expect:

Revised guidance from the Charity Commission on the duties of
members of charitable companies

A refresh of the UK
Charity Governance Code is also planned to ensure that it
reflects the changing environment. WCVA is a member of the Charity
Governance Code steering group and we look forward to working with
the group on the refresh, as well as continuing to promote the Code
in Wales.

Join this live webinar for an overview of ‘what’s new’ – including the new rates for National Insurance, National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage and statutory payments, changes to expenses and benefits and Student Loan deductions.

The Charity Commission has updated its guidance on safeguarding and protecting people.

The Commission has stated that safeguarding should be a governance priority for all charities, not just those that work with groups traditionally considered at risk. Charity trustees must take reasonable steps to protect people who come into contact with their charity from harm.

We would recommend that trustees ensure that safeguarding leads within their organisations familiarise themselves with the guidance.

If you have any questions or concerns about safeguarding in your organisation, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our free Safeguarding service by email safeguarding@wcva.org.uk or telephone 0300 111 0124 (option 6)